Suction means for feeding powdered fuel to fire boxes



Jan. 30, 1923. I 1,4 43,794.

F. L. McGAHAN. SUCTION MEANS FOR FEEDING POWDERED FUEL TO FIRE BOXE$.

ORIGINAL FILED IAN13. I918- 3 SHEETS-SHEET I- N ng N V x V B ATTO EY.

Jan. 30, 1923;

F. L. McGAHAN.

SUCTION MEANS FOR FEEDING POWDERED FUEL TO FIRE BOXES.

3 SHEETS-SHET 2.

ORIGINAL FILED JAN. 3. 191B.

IINVENTORI 49:14 WL-EM ATTOR Jan. 30, 1923.

F. L. McGAHAN.

SUCTION MEANS FOR FEEDING POWDERED FUEL-T0 FIRE BOXES.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- -0R|GINAL men JAN. s. 1918.

INVENTORI ATTOR Y.

Patented Jan. 39, 1923;

"UNETQEEE FREDERICK L. MCGAHAN, or Los ANGELES, CALIFORNIA; vroLA K. WALKER ADMIN rsrnarnrx 0E SAID EEEDEEICK L. MCGAHAN, DECEASED, ASSIGNOB TO THE PUR- POSED MIND DEVELOPMENT sncunirv nssoorerron'oi" THE woman, A TRUST COMPANY.

SUCTION'IL EANS FOB FEEDING POWDERED FUEL T0 FIRE BOXES.

original filed January 3, 191?, Serial Divided and this application filed January 17,1919 Serial No. 271,713. I v

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK L. MoGA- HAN, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at the city of Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Suction Means for Feeding Powdered Fuel to Fire Boxes, of which the fol-' the tender end of the locomotive, showing.

the fire-box in section and the turbine that is actuated from the exhaust steam of the turbine that drives the suction fan, in dotted lines.

Figure 2 illustrates the fire-box and is a sectional view taken on the line 22 in Figure 1;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary elevation of the smoke box end of the locomotive with parts broken away to show the fire tubes and smoke box, the turbine for operating the suction fan being shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the turbine and suction fan for drawing the powdered fuel into the fire-box.

The present invention relates to fuel feeding devices for locomotives and consists of the combination, arrangement and organization of elements to be herein describedin detail. The locomotive, as shown in Fig. 1, is equipped with the usual boiler 58 having at its rear end a fire box 8 and at its front end a smoke box 56. The steam generated in the boiler is supplied to the driving engines of the locomotive in the usual way.

The steam exhaust from the cylinders of the ordinary main driving mechanism of a locomotive passes through pipes 3 into the casing 4 of the turbine 1 and rotates the turbine and therewith shaft 5, to which is fixed at one end pinion 6, and at the opposite end fan2. (See Fig. 1.) Thus when the OI'dl'.

nary driving mechanism of the locomotive is, working, the turbine 1, as an auxiliary driving mechanism for driving. the wheels 65, is also in operation, and fan 2 is being constantly rotated with the result that the same exerts suction through inlets 7 of the turbine 1 within the smoke box 56 and this suction is communicated through the .firetubes 57 tothe fire-box 8. V

The said suction" draws powdered fuel out ofthe nozzles 10, extending throughthe sides of the fire box (see Figs. 1 and 2), of which there are preferably two, (one entering firebox 8 from each side thereof). This powdered or pulverized fuel being drawn, as just stated, within fire-box 8, strikes the tapering walls of arch 11 and is thereby deflected upwardly into the upper part of the fire-box, in which operation ridge 12 assists, whereby the pulverized fuel is scattered throughout the fire-box, resulting in quicker and more certain and'complete combustion and consequent heating of the fire tubes 57.

Any cinders will be drawn by the said suction through inlets 7 into the interior chamber 13 within turbine 1, whence they are passed through openings 14 and exhaust pipes 15 for return passage to ultimate dep- I osition in hopper 16, whence the said cinders drop into conveyor 17, containing the screw 18 for force-feed, together with other comminuted fuel from the tender 19 of the locomotive, there being slots in the floor of the said tender (which slots are not shown in the drawings) which allow pulverized fuel to flow out of the tender into the conveyor 17.

The said force-feed 18 may be used in combination with the said suction means that more particularly forms the subjectmatter of this patent, or either may be used separately.

The screw 18 is driven by shaft 20, of the turbine 60 (see Fig. 1) which is provided with gear connection 21 with gear 22, which is mounted on or driven by axle 23.

The mechanism intermediate pipe 24 that leads into hopper 16 is fully described in the said patent, butv is omitted from this case as forming the subject-matter of another divisional application filed simultaneously herewith. The turbine 60 is driven the exhaust steam from the turbine 1, as described in my Patent 1,292,399.

' "Asfullydisclosed in the said patent, the

action of the turbine 1', fan 2, and screw 18' is" continuous while the'locoinotive is traveling and thereby suction is continuously eX erted out ofefireboxfithrou-ghinlets'? within the smoke look 56 which communicates with the fire-box S'thIOBgh the fire'tub'es 57, as before described, thusdrawing pulverized fuel through nozzles 10 to which pipes lea-d. Pipesv 2-5 are connected with conveyor 17 "by their telescopic arrangement with pipes26 and flexiblej'oints 27. It will be understoodthat conveyors 17 are preferably duplicated on opposite sides of the tender andthat the. same are necessary whether a screw 18 be contained therein or not, and

' that joints 27, pipes Qthpipes and nozzles 1O areralso in pairs upon opposite sides of the tender, thereby enabling the discharge into fire-box 8 of powderedfuel from opposite sides of the" said' fire-bQX as clearly shown in Figure 2.

Having thus Cl SGIl b(3 d 'thlS invention, I hereby reserve the benefit of'all changes in form, arrangement order, or use of parts, as it is evident that many minor changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of this invention 'or the scope of the following claim.

I claim:

In a q mo irathec inb net e of box, a source of pulverized fuel connecting therewithhaving nozzles for the said fuel communicating with the interior of the said fire-box, suction means for drawing the fuel, from the said nozzles into the fire-box, said suctionmeans comprising a rotatable member having achainber therein, means for admitting steam into the said char-nl'ier,

means for carrying smoke, Cinders, and sparks from the 'fire-box'to and into the said chamber, means for causing the re'yolving of the said chambered member, thereby mixing the said smokeand steam, and means for exhausting fromthe said chamber.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

FREDERICK L, McGAHAN; 

